Michigan, Michigan State should be rooting for each other at Big Ten Tournament

Courtesy Big TenThe Big Ten Tournament will either elevate or deflate the post-season chances for both U-M and MSU

With the regular season at an end, and March upon us, all college hoops fans turn their eyes to the NCAA Tournament.

For Michigan and Michigan State fans, it feels more like a little kid peering through his fingers at a scary movie.

I have heard too many people claim Michigan's victory over the Spartans on Saturday has clinched a spot in the Big Dance. In reality, all it did was keep Michigan's hope alive, and drag Michigan State down to its level as a team firmly resting on a bubble that could burst at any moment.

Michigan State has a better RPI (No. 50) and a better strength of schedule (No. 9) than Michigan (No. 56 and 18, respectively). Among the Spartans' 17 wins are three against teams in the Top 50. That is almost identical to Michigan -- three of its 18 wins (the victory over Concordia doesn't count because they're not a Division I team) came against the Top 50.

The biggest thing the Wolverines have over their intrastate rival is that sweep of their two games this season. While that means a lot to us here in the Great Lakes State, it will only have a small effect on how the selection committee rates these two squads Sunday when the tournament field is announced.

The most important piece of each team's postseason puzzle won't be set in place until Thursday and Friday at the Big Ten Tournament. And in a not-so-small bit of irony, the fan bases of these two teams may have to root for each other in order to ensure punching their own ticket to the Big Dance.

If Michigan State loses in the opening round to Iowa, they will drop out of the RPI Top 50. That means Michigan will have lost two wins against that group, leaving them with only a victory over No. 35 Harvard on which to hang their maize and blue hat.

If Michigan beats Illinois, it could boost the Wolverines into the RPI Top 50, making Michigan State's two losses to them look less costly. It could also make MSU's schedule look even more daunting and tougher for the selection committee to ignore.

If both teams lose, I think both are out. If both win, I think both are in. Any other scenario (short of one team or the other winning multiple games in the Big Ten Tournament) and I think a trip to Dayton for a play-in game is the best for which either team can hope.

What it means is that all the regular season did was leave both Michigan and Michigan State with nothing more than an opportunity to continue their season. Now they each have to take advantage of it, and hope the other does as well.